


Death Is Not The End

by sharedwithyou



Category: Black Panther (2018)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Angst and Humor, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:33:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26213455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sharedwithyou/pseuds/sharedwithyou
Summary: In memory of Chadwick Boseman
Relationships: T’Challa (Marvel) & Reader
Comments: 8
Kudos: 16





	Death Is Not The End

**Author's Note:**

> In memory of Chadwick Boseman 
> 
> Our King T’Challa

“Remember that spark in his eye? When he knew he’d just said something smooth?”

You sat on the swing, pushing yourself slowly back and forth. 

“How about the spark that almost got in his eye? Or almost put out his eye? The time she was so excited to see him again that she ran over and spilled tea onto the new gadget thing his sis had made him.”

Nat the Cat gave Clint a death glare; the two of them were supposed to be cheering you up, not reminding you of your previous failures.

“His eyes were fine. I just singed his eyebrows.”

Clint raised an eyebrow at Nat, who shrugged. At least you were responding now. Weird how it took Clint making fun of you to finally make you speak.

“Shuri is a technological genius, but I was her true adversary.” You continued softly.  
“The most indestructible prototype she made, I could still break.”

Clint stifled a laugh. You were almost supernaturally clumsy.

“Eventually it was decided all her inventions had to get through me before they could be put into production.”

It was Nat’s turn to swallow a giggle.

“Some people assumed she was hard on me because I’d stolen the chief of the tribe. But really it was because I’d managed to splinter the protective plating she’d put on his suit.”

“How did you manage that?” Clint valiantly tried to continue the conversation normally.

“You tell me.” You looked up from your feet. “I’ve heard you have theories. You and your friends.”

Nat shook her head in warning at Clint, but he spoke up anyway. “The reigning one currently is in-suit foreplay, perhaps?”

He cringed when he saw your lip tremble. Nothing made him more uncomfortable than crying.

So you did him a favor and let yourself chuckle instead.

“I’m sorry, (y/n).” You felt a cold hand on your shoulder. You knew Bucky was using his metal arm because the last time he’d tried to give you a friendly pat with his regular hand you’d broken his thumb. Apparently the stereotype that Americans had an insatiable sex drive was a bit exaggerated. It had been the king who’d smoothed things over after finding the two of you locked in a fight to the death.

You must have looked unbelievably sad now, since he was even risking touching you in effort to give you solace.

“He was a great leader. A true warrior.”

You gave him a small nod.

“I know how hard it is to lose someone you care about.”

“Lose.” You echoed. Bucky waited for you to continue. When you returned to silence, he returned to his platitudes.

“There is so much loss in life as it is. And for those of us in constant war, it’s so much closer. But for each time we fall, we pick ourselves back up. For ever failure, there will be a victory.”

“I always lost.” You replied quietly.

He cocked his head at you.

“Even without the herb, in the Warrior Falls.”

“You participated in the, ah, selection process?”

“No.” You didn’t comment on how stupid the question was. “I made him go there alone with me. I wanted to prove he only beat me because he had powers that I didn’t.”

“But?”

“I still lost.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Most of the time when a man and a woman sneak off together, it’s meant to be romantic, not violent.”

“Yes well pummeling the chief into submission is not a sight the people need to see.”

“Yes well it is not a sight you will see either.” From most men this would be accompanied by a cocky smirk. But King T’Challa was not most men. He gave you an open smile and his eyes twinkled warmly as he dipped into the water and washed away his superhuman abilities.

“We will see.” You dunked yourself quickly in the water to avoid smiling back.

He raised his fists with a grin. “Ladies first.”

Even though the playing field was now level, you weren’t exactly thriving. He was agile as a panther, slipping out of your grasp easily, while you splashed around like a drunk pelican.

“I have to admit, the strength you are praised for is especially pronounced at the moment.” T’Challa complimented as he wrested his arm from your hands.

“It is good to know that I can do more than break things with it.”

“My dear (y/n) you have the most interesting job in the lab.”

“Yes as the test monkey.” You managed to hook your foot around his ankle, dragging him down by one knee. The closest you’d come yet to winning.

“Think of it this way; your talents are so unique that even my sister is no match for them.” He used his other leg to free himself and flip you into the air like a mid-dive dolphin.

It was effortless for him. Grappling came to him as easily as speaking. And he was quite eloquent.

He’d make you feel praised in a truly sincere way.

You always felt you were a serious competitor to him, not a joke or a conquest like others might guess.

Of course, a serious competitor should be able to win at least once. 

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Seeing you take a defensive stance, the king dashed forward with a shoulder-lock, leaving ripples across the water in his wake.

You waited until your heads were close together and sprang up so your lips touched.

You expected him to freeze up or push you away, either way giving you an opening to perform a powerful counterattack. 

Instead, he put his hands on either side of your face and kissed you softly, leaning into you so you felt warm and safe.

Then he leaned over hard and tipped you into the water, his arm around the small of your back so you wouldn’t hit your head on the rocks.

“Truce?”

You let out a long and noisy sigh. “Yes, my king. Truce.”

He lifted you back up, before stepping back to give you some room.

You looked towards the sky. “I suppose a tie is the next best thing.”

“You know, it’s not so difficult to beat me.”

You lowered your gaze back to look him in the eyes. Nothing had happened at all, it seemed. That was what you wanted, wasn’t it? “Is that so?”

“Yes.” You could’ve sworn his cheeks turned the slightest pink.   
“Just ask.”

After that you weren’t sure what fell first, your clothes or his. But in seconds you were in the water once more, possibly defiling a holy place, and making new ripples of your own.

~~~~~~~

“I guess he beat me once again.”

“Life isn’t meant to be a race.” Bucky spoke solidly.

“Maybe not. But if anyone should win, it should be him.”

“Well, before you finish, there’s still many things we need you to win.”

You smiled sadly. “The finish line isn’t going anywhere I guess.”

“Yes. And he will be waiting for you when the time comes to cross it.”

“I almost wish it would come soon.”

He studied your features, looking for a sign of fragility. “Don’t be taking matters into your own hands now.”

“That’s not what I meant.

It’s just:

Death is not the end.”

**Author's Note:**

> Death is not the end
> 
> Wakanda forever 
> 
> Rest In Peace


End file.
